Table of Contents
About the Authors
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. How to use this book
Part A - A toolkit for understanding what university involves
2. Preparing for university - what you and you family need to consider
3. Starting out how to get the most out of Freshers' Week
4. General expectations - how the university system works and how this impacts on students
5. What makes university education different - how to get off to a good start
6. Graduate skills and attributes - how to learn what employers expect you to gain from being at university
Part B - A toolkit for managing yourself
7. Personal development planning - how to reflect on your achievements and set yourself future goals
8. Time management - how to balance study, family, work and leisure
9. Financial tips - how to balance your budget
10. Campus orientation - how to identify the key facilities at your university
11. Social life at university - how to create new social networks and support existing ones
12. Contributing to the academic and outside community – how you can benefit and give something back by participating in extra curricular activities
13. Dealing with stress - how to cope with the pressures of university life
Part C - A toolkit for developing your learning skills
14. Your learning personality - how to identify and capitalise on your preferred learning style
15. Studying independently - how to organise yourself and develop good study habits
16. Lectures - how to learn effectively from this teaching method
17. Listening skills - how to understand what lecturers say and how they say it
18. Note-taking in lectures - how to refine what you hear into note form
19. Co-operative learning - how to study successfully with others
20. Participating in a team - how to make a contribution when working with others 21. Laboratory sessions and field visits - how to gain hands-on experience and skills
22. Tutorials - how to prepare and participate
23. Thinking critically - how to develop a logical approach to analysis and problem-solving
24. The library as a resource - how to make the best use of the facilities
25. Analysing and evaluating information - how to filter and select reliable material and discuss it properly
26. Effective academic reading - how to efficiently and with understanding
27. Note-making from texts - how to create effective notes for later reference
28. Computing literacy - how to make the best use of computers and software in your learning
29. E-learning - how to make the most of online teaching
30. Number crunching - how to solve problems in arithmetic and algebra
31. Interpreting and presenting data - how to understand and produce graphs, tables and basic statistics
32. Shaping up in maths - how to use basic geometry and trigonometry to solve spatial problems
Part D - A toolkit for improving your academic writing
33. Tackling writing assignments - how to get started
34. Academic writing format - how to organise your writing within a standard format
35. Planning writing assignments - how to respond to the task
36. Citing and listing references - how to refer appropriately to the work of others
37. Plagiarism and copyright - how to avoid being accused of 'stealing' the ideas and work of others infringement
38. Academic writing style - how to adopt appropriate language conventions
39. Shaping your text – how to create effective sentences and paragraphs
40. Improving your grammar – how to avoid some common errors
41. Better punctuation – how to use punctuation marks appropriately
42. better spelling – how to spell competently
43. Enhancing your vocabulary – how to develop your word power
44. Editing and proof-reading - how to make sure that your writing makes sense
45. Presentation of assignments - how to follow the appropriate academic conventions
Part E - A toolkit for performing well in assessed coursework
46. Assessment at university - how tests and examinations work
47. Multiple-choice and short-answer questions - how to tackle short answer formats
48. Numerical questions - how to approach quantitative problems
49. Essay-style assessments - how to maximise your marks
50. Tutorial assessment - how to make your contribution count
51. Assessment of practical and laboratory work - how to improve your marks
52. Tackling a dissertation or project – how to make the best possible start
53. Choosing a dissertation or research topic – how to decide on a them for your investigation
54. Writing a proposal – how to structure a successful dissertation or research proposal
55. Principles of quantitative research – how to obtain and analyse numerical information
56. Principles of qualitative research – how to obtain and analyse descriptive information
57. Ethics in researching and reporting – how to follow good research practice
58. Report–writing - how to select and shape your content appropriately
59. Literature Surveys - how to conduct and write up a literature survey62. Exploiting feedback - how to understand and learn from what lecturers write on your work and exam scripts
Part F - A toolkit for succeeding in exams
63. Physical and mental preparation – how to gear up for exams
64. Creating a revision timetable - how to get yourself organised for exam study
65. Revision tips - how to build understanding through active learning
66. Memory tips and techniques – how to develop tools and strategies for remembering information and ideas
67. Focussing your revision - how to make full use of learning objectives, past papers and other assessment information
68. Study buddies - how to work with fellow students to improve the revision experience
69. Improving your exam performance - how to avoid common pitfalls
70. Exam strategies how to ensure you have the appropriate tactics
71. Combating exam nerves - how to reduce anxiety and perform well under pressure
Part G - A toolkit for the future
72. Planning for a career - how to focus on your future
73. Assessing yourself - how to evaluate your skills, qualities, motivations and values
74. Your curriculum vitae - how to describe yourself to potential employers
75. Kick-starting your career - how to find suitable job vacancies and apply for them
